I know there are at least a few on here. There have been a bunch of side projects since Jerry died in Ratdog, Phil and Friends, The Other Ones, Dark Star Orchestra and now Dead and Co. seems to be getting the headlines because of the number of remaining original members (though Mickey Hart is not tech OG) and the star power John Mayer brings to play the leads. I honestly think they are all very good acts with the exception of Ratdog and Mayer most assuredly not a let down with Dead and Co.
However you want to hear the soul and power of the Dead again but with a lot more energy by a group of very accomplished and talented musicians, there is none currently better than Joe Russo's Almost Dead. I havent found a band that I can listen to in a dimly lit room with an adult beverage in my hand and be able to be totally wrapped up by listening to a band play like this one.
I have followed the careers of all of the musicians for about 15 years. A couple of them did a lot of work with my favorite band, The Disco Biscuits. The bassist is from Ween. The drummer and keys player are two of the best Ive heard in their respective spots. Truly an awesome and fun representation of one of the greatest bands of all time.
Side note, the female vocalist who is the band's Donna Jean (Nicole Atkins) is absolutely terrific and so much more approachable than Donna.
Enjoy some links! Just scroll down to the bottom of the page and download the VBR MP3 link.
10-3-15
4-29-17
8-31-17
The best post Jerry side project with an original member, to me, was Phil and Friends with Ryan Adams. It was naturally great. He wasnt trying to be JG..it was just great.
I liked Bobby Velveeta's last album. Least cheesy thing hes ever done.
Will check out Russo.
As far as JRAD, I try to see them every time they play at Brooklyn Bowl and they never disappoint. If you're a fan of the Dead these guys bring their best every night and put on a fantastic show. They bring out a lot of their friends to special guest and sing songs as well. Caught one night where they played with Nicole Atkins (a NJ based singer with a great voice) and she sang a couple Donna Godchaux parts.
Also, a lot of these guys are doing The Complete Waltz at the capitol theater the night before Thanksgiving. I went two years ago and it was a blast. I wanted to go this year but will be in Portugal.
Also, a lot of these guys are doing The Complete Waltz at the capitol theater the night before Thanksgiving.
Hopefully minus Donna's obnoxious contributions to PITB.
I have always wanted to see The Last Waltz tribute. I would prefer 100% The Band songs, but Caravan and Such A Night are fun. Just no Coyote or Dry Your Eyes, please.
got so excited to talk JRAD that I skipped right over the part where you mentioned Nicole Atkins.
Definitely agree. When they play the Brooklyn Bowl shows, they usually do a livestream. I've ordered it a few times just to put on the TV and relax too if I'm around but not going to the show. Last couple times, it's been really hard to get tickets.
couldn't find a video of PITB with Atkins but here's Dancing > The Music Never Stopped.
Dancing > MNS - ( New Window )
Marco Benevento Trio
Russo Benevento duo
Scott Metzger's Wolf!
Tons of other great side projects and combos too.
I went to the Last Waltz thing a few years ago. I liked it, but there's a lot of stuff that's not in the movie, and rightfully so imo, but they included all of it in the show, and I felt it dragged a bit.
For sure, lots of great musicians. I just wished they'd trimmed 20-30 minutes.
I don’t know much about them to be honest. I’m a black mid 20s kid. But I’ve gone on “trips” before and I believe in meditation and that good spiritual health promotes good mental health. So we struck up a conversation about that (and his silver chain which was the chemical structure for acid.”
Before he left he asked my buddy where the back room was and gave me a strip of “Stanley’s recipe”. Says it’s the best. I can’t believe that I come on here and there is a Grateful Dead post. The universe man.
I have followed Tommy throughput his music career specifically when Brothers Past was a thing. BP was my 2nd favorite touring act, although very progressive and jazzy. If you want to hear Tommy at his best and most experimental, listening to him electronic music on his axe and "sing" the melodies is truly awesome.
BPm, live at Silk City, Philadelphia PA, 1/19/10
BPm, Live at Silk City Philadelphia PA, 2/14/12
I don’t know much about them to be honest. I’m a black mid 20s kid. But I’ve gone on “trips” before and I believe in meditation and that good spiritual health promotes good mental health. So we struck up a conversation about that (and his silver chain which was the chemical structure for acid.”
Before he left he asked my buddy where the back room was and gave me a strip of “Stanley’s recipe”. Says it’s the best. I can’t believe that I come on here and there is a Grateful Dead post. The universe man.
GoDeep, I dont advocate doing drugs normally, but take that 10 strip, invite a few good friends over, take it and download these shows. You wont find a more relaxing nor safe psychedelic environment on the planet.
Enjoy.
Well I dunno if ur into the Dead. Its very soulful music...like Bluesy, folky and also edgy trancey rock. But not just a drug band. If you dont mind listening to music without lyrics and can appreciate musicianship, its unreal and fascinating.
This is a bit unrelated to JRAD, but about the Dead in general. John Mayer said when interviewed about him agreeing to play with Dead and Co. that he "had never heard anything like it" when referring to the Dead's music. This is coming from a very well established, successful poppy musician. Theiir music gets pigeon holed as either being spacey drug music (basically describing jazz in general) or twangy, folkier country western stuff and I just laugh at that. When you hear them play songs like Bertha, Dupree's Diamond Blues and Deal, but then hear them do Help on the Way> Slipknot> Franklin's Tower, Saint of Circumstance or Feel Like a Stranger, it sounds like two different bands.
Enough yapping. I would start with the 10-3-15 show.
Mayer on playing The Dead - ( New Window )
I saw Phil & Friends at the Brooklyn Acadamy of Music in 2014 with Russo as the drummer, it was one of the best post-Jerry shows I've been to. they played THE BEST version of the Wheel I've ever heard, magnificent! I also have to acknowledge that Warren Haynes was one of the guitar players that night. Anytime Warren and Phil play together I go, they have a unique chemistry when they collaborate.
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JRAD is a great band and Russo might be one of the best drummers in the world. recommended to fans of live music. I also like the Zep band he did Bustle in Your Hedgerow, They are musically superior, beyond what you get from a normal cover band.
I saw Phil & Friends at the Brooklyn Acadamy of Music in 2014 with Russo as the drummer, it was one of the best post-Jerry shows I've been to. they played THE BEST version of the Wheel I've ever heard, magnificent! I also have to acknowledge that Warren Haynes was one of the guitar players that night. Anytime Warren and Phil play together I go, they have a unique chemistry when they collaborate.
that sounds great. I really enjoyed seeing Phil and friends the one time I caught them in Central Park last year. I can imagine the addition of Russo on drums would be memorable.
Solid act, but noting special in my view. JRAD is a group of very talented musicians in the primes of their careers. They absolutely crush the Deads music.
I do not know what the name of it is but ..... it is worth checking out.
I do not know what the name of it is but ..... it is worth checking out.
Long Strange Trip. Very solid documentary on the band. Yea Weir is out to lunch for the most part.
I remember seeing him hanging out with some much younger people backstage at some show in the early 00's Camden (think it was Phil and Friends with Rat Dog opening) and he had what looked to be a quater oz bag of mushrooms in his hand and he was going to pound town on them with a 16/17 year old tour skank on his hip.
Must've have been a lot of fun at the time, but he is in outer space right now for the most part.
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Amazon's prime ... but, there was a great documentary on Bob Weir. He is in it .... and getting old.
I do not know what the name of it is but ..... it is worth checking out.
Long Strange Trip. Very solid documentary on the band. Yea Weir is out to lunch for the most part.
I remember seeing him hanging out with some much younger people backstage at some show in the early 00's Camden (think it was Phil and Friends with Rat Dog opening) and he had what looked to be a quater oz bag of mushrooms in his hand and he was going to pound town on them with a 16/17 year old tour skank on his hip.
Must've have been a lot of fun at the time, but he is in outer space right now for the most part.
Chop - I think there is 2 on Weir. I watched 1 about a year ago *very good). But, the one I am talking about is he actually goes back to the address with his wife (who looks about 30 years younger - he is a rock star) on Ashbury street - with their 2 teenage daughters. This one was much better than the first one .... and when I said old - I didn't mean burnt - I meant old. He has to be 73 - 75 in this picture? He seems pretty "alert" in this film. Most of it (the interview parts) was shot in his recording studio in the back of his house in Marin County (about 20 minutes north of SF). I will see if I can find the name of it .... although we might be talking about the same film. But, IIRC _ this was the 2nd documentary I watched on Bob Weir.
I'm a huge Dead tribute fan and have seen DSO, though they don't come out to California all that often. We are lucky because there are so many great Dead tribute bands out here already.
In the last few weeks I have seen about 6 shows. Mostly much smaller acts, but all of them very good. I mostly see Stu Allen and his various musicians that fill in as his backing band The Mars Hotel. I hit Terrapin Crossroads several times a month and have a lot of friends in Dead and Dead-like Americana, Roots bands.
I also recently formed my own GD tribute band Bluelight Cheap Hotel (link below), after playing last year as the lead guitarist and vocalist in another GD band up in Sonoma. We have some great musicians including our keyboardist who toured with Sly and the Family Stone and Van Morrison, among others. And our bassist has played a lot of big festivals like SXSW and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. The rest of us are more semi-pro guys.
I have been studying Garcia full time for the past 4 or so years (after 25 years of playing in general) in order to achieve this dream of having a great GD band.
We are definitely trying to bring some of that updated, funky energy and a bit less straight copying of the Dead, though we will remain mostly conventional in our approach. We're just getting started and hope to start gigging in the next month or so.
Link below to the website. We are also on FB if anyone wants to follow us.
Bluelight Cheap Hotel - ( New Window )
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In comment 14136931 short lease said:
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Amazon's prime ... but, there was a great documentary on Bob Weir. He is in it .... and getting old.
I do not know what the name of it is but ..... it is worth checking out.
Long Strange Trip. Very solid documentary on the band. Yea Weir is out to lunch for the most part.
I remember seeing him hanging out with some much younger people backstage at some show in the early 00's Camden (think it was Phil and Friends with Rat Dog opening) and he had what looked to be a quater oz bag of mushrooms in his hand and he was going to pound town on them with a 16/17 year old tour skank on his hip.
Must've have been a lot of fun at the time, but he is in outer space right now for the most part.
Chop - I think there is 2 on Weir. I watched 1 about a year ago *very good). But, the one I am talking about is he actually goes back to the address with his wife (who looks about 30 years younger - he is a rock star) on Ashbury street - with their 2 teenage daughters. This one was much better than the first one .... and when I said old - I didn't mean burnt - I meant old. He has to be 73 - 75 in this picture? He seems pretty "alert" in this film. Most of it (the interview parts) was shot in his recording studio in the back of his house in Marin County (about 20 minutes north of SF). I will see if I can find the name of it .... although we might be talking about the same film. But, IIRC _ this was the 2nd documentary I watched on Bob Weir.
You are referring to The Other One, I assume ? (it's in my queue but I havent watched it yet).
Link - ( New Window )
I have seen Stu probably 30 times since I moved out here 6 years ago, including multiple shows with Phil Lesh in the Grate Room at Terrapin. He plays amazingly like Jerry and sings quite a lot like him too. I prefer him to Mattson in DSO, though he is great too.
If anyone is ever out here or gets the chance, I would urge you to go see Stu. He's not well known as many others as he doesn't tour across the country all that much from what I can tell. And more importantly, doesn't have a huge web/social media presence.
But he can play every Dead and JGB song (and a lot more) like a monster. If you close your eyes, it's like being at a Dead show listening to Jerry smoke the most insane solos he ever played.
Stu Allen on Jambase - ( New Window )
Jam/tuning > Althea> jam - ( New Window )
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Video of JRAD inviting John Mayer out for Althea and a jam from 10/13/17. Althea is one of my faves too. Jam/tuning > Althea> jam - ( New Window )
Althea from Without a Net is my favorite Dead song
The vid is really neat Dave. After Mayer comes up and tunes in and gets mesged with the jam, you can see Metzger offer Mayer the vocals and Mayer seems to not really want to be front man and declines.
You can also see how JRAD is a little slower and more deliberate with the approach to the song because Mayer seems to have trouble with the slower pace.
Very cool to see bonafide jam band musicians have a star in their midst (although I think Tommy Hamilton might be a more talented guitarist than Mayer, though maybe less schooled).
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In comment 14136940 chopperhatch said:
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In comment 14136931 short lease said:
Quote:
Amazon's prime ... but, there was a great documentary on Bob Weir. He is in it .... and getting old.
I do not know what the name of it is but ..... it is worth checking out.
Long Strange Trip. Very solid documentary on the band. Yea Weir is out to lunch for the most part.
I remember seeing him hanging out with some much younger people backstage at some show in the early 00's Camden (think it was Phil and Friends with Rat Dog opening) and he had what looked to be a quater oz bag of mushrooms in his hand and he was going to pound town on them with a 16/17 year old tour skank on his hip.
Must've have been a lot of fun at the time, but he is in outer space right now for the most part.
Chop - I think there is 2 on Weir. I watched 1 about a year ago *very good). But, the one I am talking about is he actually goes back to the address with his wife (who looks about 30 years younger - he is a rock star) on Ashbury street - with their 2 teenage daughters. This one was much better than the first one .... and when I said old - I didn't mean burnt - I meant old. He has to be 73 - 75 in this picture? He seems pretty "alert" in this film. Most of it (the interview parts) was shot in his recording studio in the back of his house in Marin County (about 20 minutes north of SF). I will see if I can find the name of it .... although we might be talking about the same film. But, IIRC _ this was the 2nd documentary I watched on Bob Weir.
You are referring to The Other One, I assume ? (it's in my queue but I havent watched it yet).
Link - ( New Window )
That is it Mike .... great Doc.